Chapter 1408: Who Should Get the Opportunity

"For now, let's use all the Magnetite we have left to make Compasses... No, forget it, you can call them Compasses, North-pointing Needles, or Luo Pans in the future; just call them whatever you like, it's nothing special."

"If we turn all the Magnetite brought back this time into Compasses, it will basically be enough for our Huaxia's current needs. When the time comes, we will distribute them to everyone who needs to use a Compass, and try to keep them properly stored."

"Then, um, is your name Zhui?"

"Yes, King, my name is Zhui." The person who was named stood out, exceptionally excited. He was one of the three people who did the mining. They all belonged to the mining department under the Ministry of Works, responsible for prospecting and mining. This time, they hadn't expected to create such a great merit for themselves from such a remote place.

"Good, Zhui, the three of you will be responsible for the mining of the Magnetite Mine within the territory of the Suiren clan from now on. I will have the Ministry of War allocate some Soldiers to you to protect your safety, and then notify Baoxi to have him send the Suiren clan's labor force to be responsible for transporting the mined ore out."

"From the place where you discovered the mine to the current location of Suiren City, how long does it take, just walking?"

Zhui said without hesitation: "If we aren't carrying ore and are just carrying a normal load, it would take about nineteen to twenty-one days to arrive."

Baifeng thought for a moment; this distance was fine. When they first arrived, he hadn't asked about these specific details in depth, having focused his main energy on testing the Magnetite and making the Compasses.

"At this distance, I will make arrangements with Baoxi. You take a team of our skilled miners from Huaxia to the Magnetite Mine to blast and mine, and camp on-site."

"For the transport, let the Suiren clan people do it. They have eaten so much of Huaxia's grain, so they should contribute more effort. You just set up camp on-site. The Ministry of Revenue will coordinate the grain and ensure supply, and coordinate well with the Suiren clan."

"What I want is for their people to go back and forth continuously, team after team. Even if one round trip takes fifty days, I want them to send enough people, divided into several teams, with the time interval between each team arriving at the mine not exceeding five days. We must mine the most Magnetite in the shortest time."

The person in charge of the mining department hurriedly asked: "King, in that case, should we slow down the mining of our Iron Ore? I will send the main Workers to the Magnetite Mine."

"Not for now. Currently, the reserves of the Magnetite Mine are uncertain, and with human transport, the volume is too small. Relying on shoulders and hands, how much can you get at once? You don't need too many miners. Furthermore, grain is also a big problem. With so many people and such a long road, they have to carry grain and ore; their pressure is also quite high."

Zhui suddenly raised his hand. Baifeng stopped speaking and let Zhui talk.

Zhui gathered his courage and said: "King, since we want to occupy and mine that deposit for a long time, why not just open up a mining road?"

"It doesn't need to be developed very well, as long as people can walk through or oxen can walk through. They don't need to rotate team by team; we can use a relay."

"One team is responsible for a section of the road, a four or five-day journey, and then at the handover point, we can build one or two small houses to store grain and for people to live in, and arrange for people to guard there."

"This way, a team only needs to walk for a few days to reach their destination, and then they can get grain supplies, reducing their transport difficulty and grain loss, and saving more strength to transport ore."

"Another thing is that when they come, they are empty-handed, so they can carry grain. They can carry the grain to their destination, leave a portion, and let the next team take over to continue delivering it, all the way to the mine. This way, the food problem can also be solved, and they don't need to run empty."

"It's just that the initial workload is a bit larger, but once the road is opened, even using a Wheelbarrow might work. Otherwise, the ore can only be carried in bamboo baskets, and you can't carry much."

After Zhui finished speaking, his dark face turned slightly red from excitement and nervousness. After listening, Baifeng was stunned for a moment and then laughed: "Good, good, your suggestion is good. That's why I say only practice can produce true knowledge. Only those who do the work know how to do it best."

"Zhui, your suggestion is very good, it is adopted. This time, you will be responsible for the mining of the Magnetite Mine. You will coordinate the series of tasks. I will promote you to the position of Magnetite Mine Manager, but it is a probationary period. If you successfully and satisfactorily complete the task for me this year, when you return at the end of the year, you will be made permanent."

"I see the position of Magnetite Mine Manager as equivalent to the treatment of a Deputy Mine Manager of our Huaxia Iron Ore. After all, you are working on the front line, your management experience is still insufficient, and the scale of the Magnetite Mine is not yet clear, so don't take too big a step."

This promise made Zhui so excited that he knelt down to Baifeng on the spot under everyone's gaze, and then solemnly promised: "King! I will definitely not let you down and will mine this Magnetite Mine!"

"Alright, get up. What I want is not promises, but results. You people must seize the opportunity. You have all been working on the front line for a long time. If this opportunity is missed, I'm afraid it won't be so easy in the future."

"Others shouldn't feel unbalanced. The Magnetite Mine was discovered by you, so you will be responsible for the mining, and the merit is also yours. When the time comes, the mining of the Magnetite Mine will naturally need a leadership team. You discuss it among yourselves, and then the mining department and the Ministry of Personnel will provide supervision and guidance."

"You discuss it clearly among yourselves, but I also state that the current positions are all probationary. You must achieve results before becoming permanent. However, promotion is not linked to your merit; the reward for discovering the Magnetite Mine this time will be given to you directly."

"If you make mistakes or commit errors during the mining process, within the probationary period, the position will be gone, and someone else will take over. You will just go back to doing your original jobs."

"The mining department will arrange one or two old employees to go over to supervise and help, so that it gets on the right track as soon as possible. If any of you don't want to go to the Magnetite Mine now and want to give up the opportunity, just report to your leaders."

"Another thing is, you people in the Iron Ore and Coal Mine shouldn't have other thoughts. The Magnetite Mine was discovered by them, so the opportunity goes to them first. If they can't do it, then you will take over. Do you understand?"

Those who were envious, felt unbalanced, or felt that this young man was about to jump above them, could only suppress the displeasure in their hearts.